The 10th annual Griddys awards program honors the best of 2016 and previews the 2017 Indiana high school football season.
On Sunday, March 26, the Indiana Football Digest team welcomed 400 guests to the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center in Indianapolis to celebrate the 2016 Indiana high school football season and prepare for the 2016 campaign. Now in its 10th year, The Griddys was designed to honor the best of the best in Indiana high school football.
Honored during the event were all 12 state finalists, six coaches of the year, two assistant coaches of the year, six players of the year, two all-state teams, a media award winner, lifetime achievement award winner, badge of courage winner, and spirit of sport winner.
Also revealed was the 2017 Prime Time 25. These juniors (class of 2018) will appear on the cover of the 2017 Indiana Football Digest. These players were chosen to represent the best of Indiana football based on athletic and academic achievement as well as community involvement. The 2017 Indiana Football Digest will debut at the Grange Insurance North-South All-Star Classic at North Central High School in Indianapolis on July 14.
Here is a full list of winners
2016 State Finalists
Class 1A – Pioneer
Class 2A – Eastbrook
Class 3A – Lawrenceburg
Class 4A – NorthWood
Class 5A – Columbus East
Class 6A – Center Grove
2016 State Champions
Class 1A – Linton-Stockton
Class 2A – Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter
Class 3A –Fort Wayne Concordia
Class 4A – Indianapolis Roncalli
Class 5A – Westfield
Class 6A – Carmel
2016 TCU Coaches of the Year
Class 1A – Brian Oliver – Linton Stockton
Class 2A – Ty Hunt – Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter
Class 3A: Tim Mannigel, Fort Wayne Concordia
Class 4A: Bruce Scifres, Indianapolis Roncalli
Class 5A: Jake Gilbert, Westfield
Class 6A: John Hebert, Carmel
2016 Players of the Year
Class 1A: Tyler Meurer, Linton-Stockton (QB)
Class 2A: Avery Hall, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter (RB)
Class 3A: Austin Bowling, Lawrenceburg (RB)
Class 4A: Derek O’Connor, Indianapolis Roncalli (QB)
Class 5A: Mac Hippenhammer, Fort Wayne Snider (WR)
Class 6A: Russ Yeast, Center Grove (RB)
2016 Offensive Coordinator of the Year
Lance Hoffman, Fort Wayne Concordia
2016 Defensive Coordinator of the Year
Josh Miracle – Westfield
USMC Lifetime Achievement Award
John Broughton- Pendleton Heights
Brad Breyfogle Spirit of Sport Award
Tim Roth, Winamac
Jason Kuntz Badge of Courage
Brett Colby, Kokomo
Excellence in Sports Media Award
Keith Meyers, Indiana Sports Radio Network
2016 Big School All-State (Classes 4A, 5A, 6A)
Chase Andries, Beech Grove (P)
Bryce Bailey, Castle (OL)
Bailey Bennett, Center Grove (LB)
Mitchell Burton, Columbus North (RB)
Zenden Dellinger, Fort Wayne Snider (OL)
Ryder Emberton, Whiteland (DL)
Bryant Fitzgerald, Avon (DB)
Will Harrison, Westfield (K)
Mac Hippenhammer, Fort Wayne Snider (WR)
Hunter Johnson, Brownsburg (QB)
Caleb Jones, Lawrence North (OL)
LeShawn Minor, Ben Davis (DL)
Cedric Mitchell, Concord (DB)
R.J. Potts, Fishers (DB)
Kurt Rafdal, Carmel (TE)
Nick Ray, Hobart (LB)
David Redding, Columbus North (OL)
Tommy Richardson, Bloomington South (LB)
Dan Root, Center Grove (DL)
Mark Stickford, Carmel (OL)
Ben Stewart, Indianapolis Cathedral (DB)
Jalen Walker, Carmel (WR)
Pete Werner, Indianapolis Cathedral (LB)
Money Woods, Fort Wayne Snider (RB)
Russ Yeast, Center Grove (All-Purpose)
2016 Small School All-State (Classes 1A, 2A, 3A)
Keeton Adams, Hagerstown (OL)
Austin Bowling, Lawrenceburg (RB)
Dustin Brown, Monroe Central (OL)
Aaron Cravens, Monrovia (DB)
Michael Dennison, Mishawaka Marian (DL)
Dakota Green, Northeastern (DL)
Avery Hall, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter (RB)
Peyton Hendershot, Tri-West (TE)
Alexander Horvath, Mishawaka Marian (RB)
Peterson Kerlegrand, Fort Wayne Concordia (DB)
Kenny Kerrn, Jimtown (DB)
Caleb Macon, Whiting (LB)
Mark Mallers, Fort Wayne Concordia (WR)
Landon McPheeters, West Washington (LB)
Tyler Meurer, Linton-Stockton (All-Purpose)
Sam Milazzo, Lafayette Central Catholic (K)
Peter Morrison, Fort Wayne Concordia (QB)
Owen Perkins, Oak Hill (OL)
John Ragan, Eastbrook (DL)
Kyle Reed, Northfield (P)
Brandon Schoeneman, Adams Central (DL)
Ben Solomon, Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (OL)
Zach Starks, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (OL)
Sterling Weatherford, Hamilton Heights (DB)
Jake Young, Culver Academy (LB)
2017 Prime Time 25
Name                            School                                    Position
Andrew Barajas             Eastbrook                             RB
Carson Blair                  Southwood                            QB
Evan Brishaber             Salem                                   WR
Tico Brown                   Homestead                            DL
Joe Callahan                 Sheridan                                RB
Dakota Caton                Sullivan                                   WR
Joey Diekmann             Evansville Reitz                      LB
Emil Ekiyor                    Indianapolis Cathedral           OL
Chance Howard            Linton-Stockton                      DL
Lawrence Johnson        Fort Wayne Snider                  DL
Jordan Jusevitch           Lowell                                     DB
Damon Lux                    Shelbyville                              WR
Anthony Maceo             Portage                                   QB
Josh Major                    Columbus East                       QB
Luke Martin                   Fishers                                   OL
Johnny May                   Hamilton Southeastern          LB
Andrew McCormick       East Noble                              QB
Jake McDonald             Carmel                                    QB
Cameron McGrone        Lawrence Central                    LB
Zac Minnich                  Milan                                      WR
Paul Moala                    Penn                                       DB
Mason Parris                 Lawrenceburg                         LB
Reese Taylor                 Indianapolis Ben Davis           QB
Tyrone Tracy                  Decatur Central                      WR
Gavin Yeskie                 Bloomington South                 QB
